By a twist of fate I was caught on the tragic Seattle street scene Friday afternoon, July 28.  The sniper-shooting spectacle began at 4 p.m.  I was taking a downtown bus to meet a visiting friend from Los Angeles, a man I had worked with in L.A. when we were both college students.  

I had visited him a couple days earlier and had said so long.  He was slated to go to San Francisco en route to L.A.  But early Friday he phoned to tell me he never got farther than Portland on the train on which he was riding.  He explained that 33 freight cars had derailed in Oregon and his passenger train could not proceed on to San Francisco.

All of the passengers were compelled to disembark.  After a wait of 3 hours they were sent on a train back to Seattle.  Space from Seattle to San Francisco was not available until Tuesday.  So I suggested we get together for dinner.  We agreed to meet at the Hotel Moore lobby between 5 and 6.

I took a bus from the Queen Anne area of Seattle, where I live.  Mysteriously there was a long wait.  I thought nothing of it until the bus finally came, but was flagged down at nearby Seattle Center, where the 1962 Seattle World's Fair was held.  I had attended that fair with this same friend I was meeting.